Police Captain Fired Without Due Process
In a swift, contentious board meeting, a Seattle police captain is removed from duty, prompting a debate over the limits of the board’s authority.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Police Captain Frank Sims was summarily removed from the police force by the board of police commissioners. The removal occurred without formal charges being filed against him, which Sims protested as a violation of the rights afforded to even the lowest patrolman. Despite Acting Mayor Miller's objection to hearing speeches, other board members attempted to delay the vote. The move was pushed through by Commissioners Cheasty and Wallingford, who immediately appointed Lieutenant Hanna to fill the vacancy. The atmosphere of the meeting was tense, reflecting long-standing instability within the city's police department.
“I want to protest against this matter being considered without any charges being made against me. I think I have the right you have never denied any patrolman.”
Police oversight and the politicization of the department’s leadership were major points of contention in 19th-century Seattle. This struggle to balance 'at-will' removal of officers against the demand for formal charges mirrors ongoing contemporary debates regarding police accountability and civil service reform.
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